A PRODUCT PACKING AND METHOD FOR PACKING

Abstract: The invention relates to a packing for two or more products such as pot-plants (16, 17, 18) or the like, comprising a sheet of packing material (2), at least two profiles (3, 4, 5) with predetermined positions in the sheet, joining means (21, 22, 23) for joining the ends of the sheet in order to form a wraparound packing, whereby the products are enclosed, wherein the products are pushed inwards by the wraparound packing and wherein the products support against each other and against the wraparound packing whereby the products are substantially held in their place within the wraparound packing.

Description: A PRODUCT PACKING AND METHOD FOR PACKING This invention relates to packing for products and, more particularly, to the packing of pot-plants and the like. It is well known that apart from florists, super- markets, general stores, etc., also sell live material, in¬ cluding pot-plants. The sale of pot-plants and the like has presented problems however. When displayed for selling on a shop shelf, either standing independently or grouped together in a plant tray, pot-plants tend to quickly dry out, loose their good condition, if not sold quickly, and contamenate the surroundings by spilling soil from their pots. Moreover, the transport and storage of these pots provide some incon¬ veniences. Thus, there is a need for a clean packing for pot- plants, in which the plants are readily packed and displayed in the shops. Present in the known art are potplant packing, designed to enclose either a single plant, DE-A 1.486.242 or three pot-plants, US-A 4.471.573. A disadvantage of the single plant packing DE-A 1.486.242 is that an individual packing is required for each pot-plant, leading to more packing material per plant being required, which in turn leads to increased costs, and more space being needed to display the equal number of plants, that are packed together in a single packing. The pot-plant packing design, specifically for three pot-plants, US-A 4.471.573 has the disadvantage, that due to the provision of an individual compartment, for each plant within the packing, a large amount of material is required to form the packing, which in turn leads to high material and production costs. Another problem with the packing is that due to its design, the process of placing the plants in the packing and the folding and sealing the packing for presentation to the public, is complicated. According to one aspect of this invention, there is provided a packing for two or more products such as pot- plants or the like, comprising a sheet of packing material, at least two profiles with predetermined positions in the sheet, joining means for joining the ends of the sheet in order to form a wraparound packing, whereby the products are enclosed, wherein the products are pushed inwards by the wraparound packing and wherein the products support against each other and against the wraparound packing whereby the products are substantially held in their place within the wraparound packing. Thus a product packing is provided, giving the same functional qualities i.e. providing a clean packing in which products are readily packed and displayed in the shops, as the prior art, wherein at least 40 to 50 % less packing material is required than in the prior art, thus giving a lighter packing, which leads to a significant cost advantage and a decreased burden on the environment. Because the packing is light and wrapped around the product, (the products being held in the profiles and supporting each other) a very compact packing of small volume is supplied, which is of importance when considering transport, shop storage and shop presentation. The profiles in the sheet of packing material may be introduced into the sheet by any suitable method, heat or pressure for instance, and may be of the same shape as the whole or part of the product. The sheet of packing material may be folded about seams, that may be introduced into the sheet between the profiles. The ends of the sheet may be fastened together by any suitable means, for instance taping, stapeling which may include the profiles being interlockable. The profiles may, apart from holding the products in position, also provide a cushioning and protective shield for the products. The packing may be stackable, when open and empty, giving the advantage that they can be transported efficient¬ ly in large quantities. When the products are packed, the packing may be stable and able to independently stand. This leads to the advantages that the packings are easily stacked, transported and set out for presentation in the shops. The packing may also have an opening between the products and the environment, through which oxygen and water may be supplied. The packing may be made of any suitable material, but is preferably made of a transparant flexible plastic, thus allowing the products to be attractively packaged and easily viewed by the customer. The packing material may be made out of recyclable material and the packing may be re-used, thus being environ¬ mentally friendly. According to another aspect of the invention, a packing for at least one product, such as a pot-plant or the like, is provided, comprising a sheet of packing material, at least one profile at a predetermined position within the sheet, and joining means for joining ends of the sheet toge¬ ther to form a wrap around packing, wherein the product is enclosed and held in position. The functional qualities and advantages of the hereabove described first aspect of the invention, are retained in a packing that may packing one product. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of packing products, such as pot- plants or the like, comprising, placing the products in a receiving profile of a sheet of packing material, wrapping the packing sheet around the products, and joining ends of said packing sheet together, so that the products are held in position, support each other and are enclosed to form a stable packing. Thus, preparing the plants for display in the packing, is very quick and simple. According to yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fastening assembly for faste¬ ning two ends of material together, such as the two ends of a pot plant packing as mentioned hereabove, around pot- plants, comprising at least one receiving contour associated with a first end of material, and at least one outstanding contour associated with a second end of material, wherein the two ends of material are foldable to substantially overlap so that the outstanding contour passes tightly into the receiving contour and these co-operate to fasten the two ends of material together. The pot-plant packing can thus be simply and efficiently fastened around the pot-plants and quickly and easily unfastened when it is desired to unpack the pot- plants. Embodiments of the invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying dia¬ grams, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention in an open and empty state, also showing how it may be stacked when in this state Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the embodiment from Fig. 1, when three pot-plants are packed. Fig. 3 shows the embodiment from Fig. 2 viewed from above. Fig. 4 is a partly broken away perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention when in use. Fig. 5 shows a partly broken away side view of 2 inter¬ locking profiles. Fig. 6 is a partly broken away perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention when in use. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the present invention showing a first preferred fastening assembly. Fig. 8 is a partially broken away perspective view of the fastening assembly from figure 7 in use. Fig. 9A is a partially broken away perspective view of a second preferred fastening assembly according to the present invention. Fig. 9B is a partially broken away perspective view of the fastening assembly from figure 9A in use. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a part of a sub pre- ferred embodiment of the fastening assembly for a packing according to the present invention. Fig. 1 shows packing sheet 2 and embodiment 1 of the invention, comprising a sheet of packing material 2, into which three profiles 3, 4, 5 have been introduced. The profiles 3, 4, 5 each have three different sections A, B, C, a bottom 6, 7, 8, and a top 9, 10, 11. In this embodiment, the sections A and C are of equal profile depth (section A occupying a greater width of the sheet 2 than section B) and are separated by a narrower, less deep section B. The profiles 3, 4, 5 are separated by seams 12, 13. This figure shows how sheets of this particu¬ lar embodiment may be stacked together, the profiles being able to fit over one another to form a stack of packings 14. In Fig. 2 a sheet of packing material 2, such as in Fig. 1, is shown in use, 15, packing three pot-plants. The three pot-plants are placed in the profiles 3, 4, 5, so that the pots 16, 17, 18 fit into section C of the profiles, and section A of the profiles forms a packing area for the plants. The packing sheet 2 is then folded around the pot-plants, via the seams 12, 13, so that the two ends 19, 20 meet. The two ends 19, 20 are then fastened together by pieces of tape 21, 22, 23. The sheet 2 of packing material (Fig. 1, Fig. 2) is now folded into three sections D, E, F (Fig. 2, 3), which comprise the profiles 3, 4, 5 (Fig. 1, 2, 3) separated by the seams 12, 13 (Fig. 1, 2, 3). These sections form a packing triangular in longitudinal section, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. When packaged as in Fig. 2, 3, the profiles 3, 4 and 5 project outwards from the wraparound packing. The pots 16, 17, 18 are held in place in the packing between section B of the profiles 3, 4, 5 (Fig. 1, 2, 3) , that forms a securing ring about the top of the outer edges of each pot, (as shown for the edges 24, 25 for pots 16, 17 (Fig. 2)) and the bottoms 6, 7, 8 (Fig. 1) of section C of the profiles 1, 2, 3 (Fig. 1, 2) which form a semi circular supporting section upon which a part of the under- side of each pot 16, 17, 18 (Fig. 2) rests. As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, when packaged the pots meet each other at positions 26, 27, 28 (Fig. 2 and 3) and this provides a supporting force, which pushes each pot more securely into section C of the profiles 3, 4, 5 (Fig. 1, 2, 3). The walls of section C (Fig. 2) in turn offer a resistance to this supporting force, due to the ends of the packing sheet 19, 20 (Fig. 2, 3) being joined together. Thus is a stable, secure packing ensured, that is capable of independently standing upright on the area formed by the underside of the pot-plants and the bottom of each section C, 6, 7, 8 as shown in Fig. 2. When folded around the pot- plants, the packing is open at the top F, and the bottom, allowing the plant to breathe and facilitating watering. As is apparent from above, the packing of the invention can be used for conveniently packing and display¬ ing live plants. Because of close envelopment of the plant pots, drying out or spillage of the soil is prevented. Furthermore the packing provides an attractive shelter for the leaves of the plant and allows easy viewing. Due to the simple nature of the design of the invention, the packing is roughly 40 to 50 % lighter than the current packing available on the market for the same products. This leads to a saving in both the cost and the burden on the environment. Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of the invention when in use, comprising a sheet of packing material 30, into which profiles 31 etc, of the same shape, form and depth, and which are all at an equal distance from each other, have been introduced. The sheet of packing material 30 is folded around product holders 32, in this case product holders for candles, via seams 33, 34, 35, 36 in the sheet, thus forming four walls 37, 38, 39, and 40, from which the profiles 31 inwardly protrude. The product holders 32 are then held in a channel 41, that results between two rows of inwardly pro¬ jecting profiles, for example 42, 43, and support each other within the packing. In the same way, the product bases 44 are also held in the packing and these packaged bases form the means by which the packing is able to independently stand. In this embodiment of the invention, the profiles 31 are interlocka- ble (Fig. 5) and are used to secure the overlapping ends of the packing sheet 45, 46 together. Fig. 6 shows a third embodiment of the invention, in use, comprising a sheet of packing material 47 into which three different sets of profiles G, H, I have been introdu¬ ced. In this case the packed products are two pot-plants 48 and 49. When wrapped around the products as in Fig. 6, the packing profiles G, H, I inwardly protrude from the packing sheet towards the products. The profiles I are formed, so as to have a broader base than top, thus ensuring that the side of the profile, coming into contact with the pot, slopes downwardly, follo- wing the shape of the pot. The rims 50, 51 of the pots are held in the chan¬ nel between the top of the I profiles and the bottom of the H profiles, and are mutually supporting in contact with each other at position 52. The space 53 between the top of the H profiles and the bottom of the G profiles, is used to secure a lid 54. The ends of the sheet 55, 56 are overlapped and joined together by interlocking three sets of profiles (G, H, I) on one sheet end with three sets of profiles on the other sheet end, as shown at 57. The bottoms of the pots 58, here act as the pac¬ king base. As will be seen in the second and third embodi¬ ment of the invention, the profiles can also act as shock absorbers. Thus, different products can be packaged in this way, by choosing the shape and orientation of the profiles, within the packing sheet, best suited for a particular product/products. The pot-plant packing is preferably equipped with a fastening assembly 60 as shown in figure 7, comprising a first strip 61 and a second strip 62 which are preferably foldable about the ends of the packing via seams 63, 64 respectively The first strip 61 has an injection moulded out¬ standing contour 65 which fits into a corresponding injecti¬ on moulded receiving contour 66 on the second strip 62 (see figures 7 and 8) . The first strip 61 is also preferably equipped with two projecting elements in the form of injection moul¬ ded push studs 67, these preferably being foldable about junction lines 68 at the top and bottom of the first strip 61. Push stud accomodating areas 69 are also preferably associated with the first strip 61, on the other side of the junction lines 68 to the push studs 67, wherein these acco¬ modating areas 69 correspond with two further injection moulded stud-like projections 70 on the second strip 62. During fastening, the outstanding contour 65 is pressed into the receiving contour 66, the two strips 61, 62 overlapping, the stud-like projections 70 being pressed into the stud accomodating areas 69 on the first strip 61. To further fasten the ends of the packing toge- ther, the push studs 67 are then folded about their junction lines 68 to be pushed into the hollow back of the stud-like projections 70. This fastener has been found to be particularly effective for packings made of recycled plastic. As recycled plastic can not be processed as well as new plastic, extra after processing is needed to make sure that existing push stud fastening assemblies stay closed and are equal in effectiveness to fastening assemblies made from new plastic. However this after processing is not required when the fastening assembly according to the present invention is made from recycled plastic, the fastening assembly according to the present invention showing an effectiveness equal to that of fastening assemblies made from new plastic. An alternative embodiment for the fastening assem¬ bly is shown in figures 9A and 9B. Instead of fastening by means of push studs, as shown in figures 7 and 8, the embo¬ diment in figure 9 is fastened by a double lip/ opening fastener, of which only one lip 71 and one opening 72 is shown. In use the lip 71, situated on the first strip, passes into its corresponding opening 72 on the second strip, the lip 71 then being folded back to be secured between two collars 73 associated with the opening 72, as shown in figure 9B. The lip and opening which are not shown cooperate in an exact manner. A fastening part 80 (figure 10) to be used with strip 61 of figure 7 has openings 81, 82 at the upper and lower ends thereof respectively and can be more efficiently manufactured than the corresponding part in figure 7 showing the projections 70. The openings 81 and 82 are preferably manufactured by means of die punching for which reason recesses 83 and 84 are visable in figure 10. The cooperation with strip 61 takes place in the same way as shown in figures 7 and 8, while the embodiment according to figure 10 has proven to further diminish the manual labour associated with closing the packing. Relative to existing pot plant packings the pre- sent invention yields roughly a 60% saving on material used and furthermore the resulting package takes up roughly 20% less space, for the same number and type of pot-plants, than existing pot-plant packings, factors which lower the produc¬ tion costs of each packing and raise the amount of package which can be stored, transported and/or displayed per unit area. This yields a saving in time with regard to the closing of the packings in the factory for example, which in turn leads to increased cost-effectiveness and less stress on the environment. The present invention is not restricted to the embodiments illustrated and described above; modifications and alteration of detail can be made within the scope of the invention defined in the appendant claims.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Packing for two or more products such as pot- plants or the like, comprising a sheet of packing material, at least two profiles with predetermined positions in the sheet, joining means for joining the ends of the sheet in order to form a wraparound packing, whereby the products are enclosed, wherein the products are pushed inwards by the wraparound packing and wherein the products support against each other and against the wraparound packing whereby the products are substantially held in their place within the wraparound packing. 2. Packing according to claim 1, wherein a part of each profile has the same form as at least one part of the product, wherein the profile parts hold the products in place. 3. Packing according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the profiles are separated by a seam, about which the packing is foldable. 4. Packing according to claim 1, wherein the joining means comprise profiles of such a form that they are coupleable to each other. 5. Packing according to claim 4, wherein the profiles project inwards from the packing sheet towards the products in the wraparound position. 6. Packing according to any of the previous claims, wherein the packing has such a form that it is, in an open and empty arrangement, stackable on another packing. 7. Packing according to claim 6, comprising a first part, one or more middle parts and a last part, whe¬ rein the parts are separated by seams and wherein the ends of the first and last parts are joined by joining means, so that the upper walls of the parts together form an opening. 8. Packing according to any of the previous claims, wherein the packing material is made from transpa- rant plastic. 9. Packing according to claim 8, wherein the packed products within the packing are able to be stably placed. 10. Packing for pot-plants according to any of the previous claims. 11. Packing for one or more products, such as pot- plants etcetera, comprising a sheet of packing material, at least one profile with a predetermined position within the sheet, joining means for joining the end of the sheet toge- ther in order to form a wraparound packing, whereby the product is enclosed and held in place. 12. A fastening assembly for fastening two ends of material together, such as the two ends of a pot plant packing, as claimed in claims 1 to 11, around pot-plants, comprising: - at least one receiving contour associated with a first end of material, - and at least one outstanding contour associated with a second end of material, - wherein the two ends of material are foldable to substantially overlap so that the outstanding contour passes tightly into the receiving contour, and these co-operate to fasten the two ends of material together. 13. Fastening assembly according to claim 12 further comprising at least one projecting element, and at least one accomodating area for the projecting element, said projecting element of such a form as to project into the accomodating area when the outstanding and receiving con¬ tours co-operate, to further fasten the two ends of material together. 14. Method for the packing of products, such as pot-plants etcetera, comprising placing the products in a receiving profile of a sheet of packing material, closing the packing material around the product and joining the ends of the packing material together, so that the packed pro¬ ducts support each other; are held in place; and form a stable packing. 15. Method for packing products according to claim 14, wherein use is made of a packing according to one or more of the claims 1-13 and/or according to the description and figures.

Inventors: FELIX ALFRED ALBERT, FELIX, ALFRED, ALBERT
Applicants: FELIX ALFRED ALBERT, FELIX, ALFRED, ALBERT
Application year: 1994
Main classification: B65D85
IPC codes: B65D85